GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 29 Nov) – Top inventions and innovations from parts of Region 12 will take centerstage anew in the 2019 Regional Invention Contest and Exhibits (RICE) slated here next week.
Engr. Mahmud Kingking, acting director of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-Region 12, said Friday at least 50 inventors and researchers will be showcasing their projects in the RICE 2019 on Dec. 3 to 5 at the SM Mall here.
He said the annual event mainly aims to bring together and feature the works of “the best minds” in the region.
“It is a venue to recognize and extend encouragement to local inventors and researchers for their hard work and ingenuity,” he said.
Kingking said the participants, which include college and high school students, will compete for the top awards in six categories.
These are the Outstanding Invention or Tuklas Award, Outstanding Utility Model, Outstanding Industrial Design, Outstanding Creative Research or Likha Award, Outstanding Student Creative Research or Sibol Award for high School and the Sibol Award college students.
The official said the exhibits and other related activities, which will be held at the SM Mall events center, are all open to the public.
He said the winners will receive cash incentives and certificates of recognition as well as qualify for the national competition.
Kingking said RICE intends to highlight the vital contributions of their science and technology development partners from all walks of life in the region.
He cited those from government, academe, industry as well as private individuals.
“It showcases the products of their creativity, inventiveness and innovative ideas that could help answer the complex and never-ending societal problems that are taking place now and in the future,” he said.
Kingking said the event seeks to encourage more “young minds and inventors” to come up with solutions that could be applied to the “day-to-day challenges in today’s high competitive and fast changing global environment.”
He added that RICE can be a driving force for inventors and researchers to achieve self-confidence in marketing their inventions and eventually transform them into science-based enterprises.
RICE 2019 was organized by DOST-12 in collaboration with the agency’s Technology Application and Promotion Institute.
This year theme is “Science for the People: Enabling Technologies for Sustainable Development.” (MindaNews)
